Possible new slow speed precincts following community support for 40 km/h speed limit zones

Minister for Territory and Municipal Services Shane Rattenbury, today announced the results of an evaluation of 40 km/h speed limit precincts in the Belconnen, City and Tuggeranong town centres. The precincts have been operating for one year.

Minister Rattenbury also announced the start of an investigation into additional slow speed precincts in Canberra.

“Forty kilometre speed limit precincts were introduced in the three town centres in June last year following a successful trial of reduced speed limit precincts in the Gungahlin and Woden Town Centres,” Mr Rattenbury said.

“Territory and Municipal Services (TAMS) undertook an evaluation of the 40 km/h speed limit precincts earlier this year to measure their effectiveness and the level of public support. Of the 450 people surveyed, 72% support the reduced speed limit precincts in the Belconnen, City and Tuggeranong town centres saying that they felt pedestrians and cyclists were safer since their introduction

“We are now considering the extension of these slow speed precincts to Group Centres such as Dickson and Erindale. This initial evaluation work will commence shortly.

“Implementing safer speed limits in areas with high pedestrian and cyclist activity is in line with National and ACT Road Safety Strategies and is critical to improving road safety for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.

“Research indicates that a 40 km/h speed area can significantly reduce the risk of death for pedestrians and cyclists if there is a collision. For example, a 10 km/h decrease in speed from 50 km/h to 40 km/h can reduce the risk of death by over 50 percent.

“Slower speed environments improve safety for all road users and help draw more pedestrian activity to the area. They help to create safer and vibrant community areas for Canberra, and help to make it a more sustainable and active city,” concluded Minister Rattenbury.

It’s common sense that cars should not be doing 60kmh on streets like Bunda in Civic and Cape/Wooley/Badham in Dickson – however the concept that it encourages pedestrians and was successful because people “felt safer” is absolutely bonkers.

Who are these people too frightened to walk around in a shopping district?? Same for cyclists – who really thinks: I’m very worried about safety but I’m fine to ride on the road once I reach the shopping areas??

I agree with the 40 zones in these areas, but hate the speed humps. I have to come to a crawl to get my cars over them, while P-platers from Tuggeranong College and 4WD owners launch over them at the posted 40km speed limit. I have even seen P-platers and 4WD’s using these speed humps as an opportunity to go around cars that slow down. They are not slowing down the vehicles/drivers that are of greatest threat in these areas.

[i]“They help to create safer and vibrant community areas for Canberra, and help to make it a more sustainable and active city,” concluded Minister Rattenbury.”[/i]

Really? Slow speed environments ‘create vibrant community areas’ and make a ‘more sustainable and active city’? What a load of bollocks. Overuse of buzzwords much?

A good place for a 40 km/h limit would be the short section of Northbourne Avenue from London Circuit to Barry Drive, which accounted for 13 of the 189 pedestrian injury crashes that occurred in the entire ACT from 2010 to 2012.

Other good places would be Cooyong Street, which accounted for 9 pedestrian injury crashes, and Barry Drive (7).

A good place for a 40 km/h limit would be the short section of Northbourne Avenue from London Circuit to Barry Drive, which accounted for 13 of the 189 pedestrian injury crashes that occurred in the entire ACT from 2010 to 2012.

Other good places would be Cooyong Street, which accounted for 9 pedestrian injury crashes, and Barry Drive (7).

That would require analysing data for problem areas and then implementing a targetted response.

Yeah I find the speed humps unnecessary and I just dodge them on 2 wheels and continue on at 40. Also in some of these 40 areas you’d question the need for as many cars anyway, especially out the front of the Hyperdome, which could be turned into a pedestrian mall and give the cafes a chance to be pleasant that way. Ok maybe put a taxi bay in as well.

Can we see the data of crashes/pedestrian incidents before and after please? I highly doubt that the reduced speed limit around the hyperdome has resulted in any change, no pedestrians hit before and apparently none after.

This government seriously needs to pay less attention to the small insignificant tasks and focus on the big issues. Cars use roads, it should be up to the pedestrian to safely make their way around them, its not difficult people!

As one would see by observing the 40 zones on London Circuit, they don’t actually really work without the speed humps. Even the police come out of the station and accelerate above 40. Most people speed past the police station and if the police are going in or out in their cars they don’t seem to care. It would make them a motza if they just sat outside the Cupping Room cafe with a camera.

Speed humps slow down cars as effectively as red traffic lights stop taxis [pointing at you, Mr. stereotype taxi driver of certain ethnic origin outside the Ginninderra Medical Center at around 10:00 AM on Monday 23-6-14, lucky I can't walk normal pace at the moment or I'd have been in a world of pain and you without a license]. Without police to action offenses, they are just a nuisance to everybody except 4×4 drivers.

As one would see by observing the 40 zones on London Circuit, they don’t actually really work without the speed humps. Even the police come out of the station and accelerate above 40. Most people speed past the police station and if the police are going in or out in their cars they don’t seem to care. It would make them a motza if they just sat outside the Cupping Room cafe with a camera.

I have actually seen them do just that. A couple of them set up behind the bus shelter below the Cupping Room, pinging people heading around London Cct. I sat and watched for a bit on my way back to the office, and was surprised how long it took them to pull someone over. A couple of times it looked like they were going to stop someone, then didn’t…until a dude in an Audi obviously made the decision for them easy!

I’m no fan of speed humps (I live not far from Spofforth St in Holt…) but at least the humps at the beginning of the 40 zones are a reminder you can’t easily ignore. The 40 zones in the city begin with tiny 40 signs, no road markings at all, in areas with plenty of other distractions aside from changing speed limits.